I am trying to find any family of my Great Grandmother, Jozefa (Josephine) Czywinska. She was born around 1887. She came to the United States in the early 1900's. She married Frank Zbikowski from Poland as well. He was born around 1883. Jozefa's parents were Walantyne Srodwinska and her husband was Joseph Czywinski.
Jozefa came to the U.S. under a cousin's name who couldn't make the trip. We don't know the cousin's name. The port she came to in the U.S. was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

I have been to the geneological museum in Utah and Ancestry.com trying to find something but I have been unsuccessful finding one thing about her life in Poland.

Since you searched in Ancestry.com, I assume you found all of the information for your great grandparents that I also found when searching for clues: 1920 census, 1907 marriage index for Philadelphia, PA, WWI draft registration, 1918 Naturalization record, 1983 SSI Death Index, etc.

Before you can find records in Poland, you need to determine the village of your Grandmother's birth. All of the records in Ancestry provide clues to what that village might be. The census and your great grandfather's naturalization records both say Jozefa (Josephine) was born in the Russian partition of Poland. Her birth date (taken from the SSI death index) is January 1, 1887 and her death is 22 March 1983 in Warren, Maycomb, Michigan. The 1920 census indicates she immigrated to the US in 1903. When searching for passenger lists for 1903 under the last name Czywinska, I found a Maria Czywinska arriving in Philadelphia, PA on July 22, 1903. Of course we don't know for sure if Jozefa traveled under the name Maria or that this is her cousin; the passenger list indicated Maria was born in Russian Poland about 1885. There is even a name of her last residence that I cannot make out but it looks like: Krovki, Krowki, Kronki, Kroski. If you want the record, private email me via Polish Origins and I will send it to you. Once you get it, you can post it in the forum and ask for help reading the village listed in the "last residence" column. This record also said Maria was going to Redding, PA to her brother, Adam Czywinski. There is enough of a coincidence with Maria's record and Jozefa to warrant a closer look, i.e., they were close in age (1885 and 1887); Maria arrived in Philadelphia (you said Jozefa arrived in Philadelphia), and in the census, Jozefa reported arriving in the US in 1903 (same year as Maria).

Jozefa married Frank Zbikowski in 1907 per the Philadelphia Marriage index. In order to locate the village of her birth, you can request a copy of her marriage application from Philadelphia, PA vital records. Often, the marriage application provides the birth location and name of the parents of bride and groom. You can also try getting a copy of her death certificate from Warren, Maycomb, Michigan - sometimes you luck out and they include the birth place. Also, you can make a request of the Diocese of Philadelphia (assuming she was Polish Catholic) for information on her sacramental marriage record. The sacramental records often have the village of birth. There really is not much you can do to further your research in Poland without first finding her birth village.

Your great grandfather, Frank Zbikowski, was born in Drobin, Masovian Province, Poland. I got this from his Naturalization Papers in Ancestry.com. Family Search has microfilms for Drobin including the year of his birth. So, if you live near a Family Research Center, you can order the microfilm and search it at the local center. You will likely find his birth record and his family.

Sorry I couldn't help more, but I hope some of this might help point you in the right direction.

Do you have a Tree in Ancestry? If so, did you find all the records in Ancestry.com that I spoke of in my summary? There really is quite a bit there for your great grandparents...

Typically, you find all the records in the United States via Ancestry.com that you can locate and then read them carefully for clues. The clues then begin to form a written picture like the one I wrote in my summary. Then, you fill in the blanks by requesting missing vital records from the state, city, county offices or the church diocese. Once you find the names of the Polish villages and their parent's names, you have enough information to begin looking for information in Poland.

Let me know if you need help locating the records I mentioned in Ancestry.com

Since you searched in Ancestry.com, I assume you found all of the information for your great grandparents that I also found when searching for clues: 1920 census, 1907 marriage index for Philadelphia, PA, WWI draft registration, 1918 Naturalization record, 1983 SSI Death Index, etc.

Before you can find records in Poland, you need to determine the village of your Grandmother's birth. All of the records in Ancestry provide clues to what that village might be. The census and your great grandfather's naturalization records both say Jozefa (Josephine) was born in the Russian partition of Poland. Her birth date (taken from the SSI death index) is January 1, 1887 and her death is 22 March 1983 in Warren, Maycomb, Michigan. The 1920 census indicates she immigrated to the US in 1903. When searching for passenger lists for 1903 under the last name Czywinska, I found a Maria Czywinska arriving in Philadelphia, PA on July 22, 1903. Of course we don't know for sure if Jozefa traveled under the name Maria or that this is her cousin; the passenger list indicated Maria was born in Russian Poland about 1885. There is even a name of her last residence that I cannot make out but it looks like: Krovki, Krowki, Kronki, Kroski. If you want the record, private email me via Polish Origins and I will send it to you. Once you get it, you can post it in the forum and ask for help reading the village listed in the "last residence" column. This record also said Maria was going to Redding, PA to her brother, Adam Czywinski. There is enough of a coincidence with Maria's record and Jozefa to warrant a closer look, i.e., they were close in age (1885 and 1887); Maria arrived in Philadelphia (you said Jozefa arrived in Philadelphia), and in the census, Jozefa reported arriving in the US in 1903 (same year as Maria).

Jozefa married Frank Zbikowski in 1907 per the Philadelphia Marriage index. In order to locate the village of her birth, you can request a copy of her marriage application from Philadelphia, PA vital records. Often, the marriage application provides the birth location and name of the parents of bride and groom. You can also try getting a copy of her death certificate from Warren, Maycomb, Michigan - sometimes you luck out and they include the birth place. Also, you can make a request of the Diocese of Philadelphia (assuming she was Polish Catholic) for information on her sacramental marriage record. The sacramental records often have the village of birth. There really is not much you can do to further your research in Poland without first finding her birth village.

Your great grandfather, Frank Zbikowski, was born in Drobin, Masovian Province, Poland. I got this from his Naturalization Papers in Ancestry.com. Family Search has microfilms for Drobin including the year of his birth. So, if you live near a Family Research Center, you can order the microfilm and search it at the local center. You will likely find his birth record and his family.

Sorry I couldn't help more, but I hope some of this might help point you in the right direction.

Nice find Gilberto!. Danielle, Gilberto gave you a link to Geneteka index that has an entry for the birth of your great grandfather, Francizek Zbikowski. If you click on the link, it will tell you he was born in 1878 in Drobin and that his birth record is entry #50 in the parish book. Unfortunately, there is no scan with this line entry, and I cannot find 1878 records for Drobin online. Gilberto, did you find any records online for Drobin 1878? Because I may have missed it.

Danielle, if you can't find it online, then you would need to order the microfilm from LDS for births in 1878 and then look for record #50 in the parish book.

Nice find Gilberto!. Danielle, Gilberto gave you a link to Geneteka index that has an entry for the birth of your great grandfather, Francizek Zbikowski. If you click on the link, it will tell you he was born in 1878 in Drobin and that his birth record is entry #50 in the parish book. Unfortunately, there is no scan with this line entry, and I cannot find 1878 records for Drobin online. Gilberto, did you find any records online for Drobin 1878? Because I may have missed it.

Danielle, if you can't find it online, then you would need to order the microfilm from LDS for births in 1878 and then look for record #50 in the parish book.

That's what community is about!
Cynthia

Cynthia,

Not online, unfortunately. I have found an entry for Adam Cywinski, from Plock (in www.stevemorse.org Ellis Island). And there is a Jozefa Cywinska, in 1887, in Plock, too. But the number of her birth record indicates it was not January, unless her birth was recorded months later. Not online, either.

Hello Cynthia and Gilberto (I see you're from Brazil...watching the Olympics while I do this". THANK YOU SO MUCH! I can't believe how much I have found out today!
We believe she came over on the ship "The Rhyneland" in July of 1903. I have the passenger list from our visit to the Family Heritage Library in Utah. The names were Maria Czywinska and Adam Czywinski. We know that my great grandmother was about 16 years old when she came over so the dates and location matches.
I have a copy of her marriage license to Frank from the orphan's court of Philadelphia. They were married on May 25th 1907. The birthplace is marked as "Russia Poland" but I will take your advice Cynthia and write the orphans court to request their marriage application.
Looking forward to finding my family! Thank you again!

Hello Cynthia and Gilberto (I see you're from Brazil...watching the Olympics while I do this". THANK YOU SO MUCH! I can't believe how much I have found out today!
We believe she came over on the ship "The Rhyneland" in July of 1903. I have the passenger list from our visit to the Family Heritage Library in Utah. The names were Maria Czywinska and Adam Czywinski. We know that my great grandmother was about 16 years old when she came over so the dates and location matches.
I have a copy of her marriage license to Frank from the orphan's court of Philadelphia. They were married on May 25th 1907. The birthplace is marked as "Russia Poland" but I will take your advice Cynthia and write the orphans court to request their marriage application.
Looking forward to finding my family! Thank you again!

Hi, Danielle,

I would love to see the record Cynthia found, showing the name of the place in Last Residence column.

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